Cops to enforce stricter control over their weapons
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Oct 24 2009 14:40

The police service will introduce stricter measures to safeguard its
own firearms, a spokesperson said on Saturday. This was brought about
by the "loss" of 147 R5 rifles from police stocks throughout the
country over the past year, said Senior Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo
said in a statement. "[It] provoked serious concerns among top
management of the police force," said Naidoo.

Naidoo said these firearms are usually not permanently issued to
members as such, but kept in a pool and issued for specific use. "The
national commissioner [Bheki Cele] has directed provincial
commissioners and commanders throughout South Africa to introduce
stricter measures to ensure the safety of arms and ammunition," he
said.

"These measures would include assigning the R5s to individuals so that
there would be accountability, as well as ensuring that guns that are
not issued are better secured and properly administrated." Naidoo said
three officers from a police station in Gauteng were recently arrested
for allegedly stealing and selling R5 rifles to criminals.
"I have already indicated that our police officers who place
themselves in such situations must be dealt with severely, both
criminally and departmentally," said Cele in the statement.

"It pains me to even try to understand why anybody would resort to
unscrupulous acts such as providing criminals with the very means that
would ultimately bring harm to their colleagues and themselves -- not
to mention our defenceless communities, and for this, I am livid",
said Cele. -- Sapa